Airborne 12.09.16

Airborne Hi-Def On YouTube

Airborne 12.09.16

ALPA Offers Massive Resources

Air Canada Jazz pilots tell ANN that
they will receive a whopping $5 million grant from their
international union, ALPA, to help them prepare for upcoming
contract negotiations with their management. Capt. John Prater,
ALPA’s president, announced the grant at a recent Strength in
Unity Rally and Family Awareness event in Toronto, at which more
than 130 Jazz pilots and family members were gathered from
Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Halifax, and Montreal.

“This grant puts Jazz management on notice that ALPA will
reject any attempt to maximize profit on the backs of
employees,” Prater said. “We want a new contract, not a
strike, but the pilots at Jazz deserve and demand an agreement that
reflects their contribution to the airline’s outstanding
success.”

ALPA’s Executive Council unanimously approved the $5
million grant from its Major Contingency Fund (MCF). The MCF is
ALPA’s “war chest,” providing pilot groups with
the necessary resources to respond to threats to their jobs and to
the piloting profession. Funds from the grant will pay for
strategic preparedness activities.

“Jazz pilots stand solidly behind our highly experienced
negotiating team,” said Capt. Brian Shury, chairman of the
Jazz unit of ALPA. “In addition, we are working closely with
the other Jazz stakeholders and especially with the other labour
groups. We learned during the last restructuring process that
working together puts us in the strongest possible position to
achieve the outcome we all seek--a viable, profitable, and
sustainable airline.”

Founded in 1931, ALPA represents nearly 54,000 pilots at 36
airlines in the United States and Canada, including 1,550 pilots
who fly for Jazz.